Memphis Grizzlies 2017-18 Player Preview: Deyonta Davis
By Chip Crain
The Memphis Grizzlies traded a future first round pick to acquire Deyonta Davis, but has the team seen enough to justify the trade?
The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t think they would have a shot at Deyonta Davis in the 2016 NBA Draft. Most experts predicted he would be drafted somewhere near the lottery. Instead, he fell to the second round where the Memphis Grizzlies traded to acquire the Michigan State star.
At 6’ 11”, 237 pounds, the big man seems to have all the tools necessary to become a solid if not spectacular NBA player. Davis can block shots, rebound and has a nice interior offensive game. However, he’s still struggling to put it all together.
What’s wrong?
The Memphis Grizzlies fans have yet to see the promise from the draft produce on the court. Davis doesn’t appear comfortable with the speed of the game and has struggled to avoid getting into foul trouble. Davis committed 40 fouls in just 238 minutes last season. That’s more than a foul every six minutes on the court, and most of his time was during scrub time in blowout games.
Davis managed to hit 51 percent of his field goal attempts, but most of them came at the rim. Outside of three feet away from the rim, Davis seemed lost. His free throw percentage (55 percent) suggests his range won’t grow that much either. What’s worse is Davis doesn’t appear to have any post moves to get open around the basket. If the pass doesn’t directly lead to a dunk, Davis looks like he doesn’t know what to do.
So he hasn’t shown a complete offensive game, and his defensive reactions are too slow leading to too many fouls. A frustrating concern is his body language suggests he’s not concerned about his flaws either.
Could he put it together?
Davis can earn a spot in the rotation, if he applies himself to improving. Brandon Wright has a long history with injuries. Jarell Martin and Ivan Rabb aren’t big enough yet to hold up against centers in the league. The team needs someone behind Gasol who can give him rest against the Dwight Howard’s and DeAndre Jordan’s in the league.
Davis needs the desire to improve to earn that spot. He needs to show the team he’s serious about being an NBA player and wants to be a part of this team and in the rotation. At only 20 years old, there’s still time for Deyonta Davis to find a niche with all of his talent. He has to start showing the desire to improve pretty quickly though.
Next: Can Davis become the backup center?
The Memphis Grizzlies have a need for a player with Davis’ size and skills. However, until he finds a way to harness those skills into production, Davis might spend more time in the G-League.